Mary Emma (Bullock) Mcgee

Mary Emma (Bullock) McGee, 96, born on April 8, 1922, in Brandon, Mississippi, passed away December 7, 2018. She resided in La Cañada, California at the time of her passing. She was the youngest child and only daughter of Harvey Hasty Bullock and Mary (Williams) Bullock. The Bullock family lived in an ante-bellum home on College Street near Whitfield Road.

Mary Emma graduated from Brandon High School in 1939. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Mary Hardin-Baylor College in 1943. After teaching mathematics for a year, she went on to complete legal studies at the Jackson School of Law. She was admitted to the State of Mississippi Bar Association on August 21, 1946. She was licensed to practice in all Mississippi State courts and concentrated her practice in Brandon.

Mary Emma's legal career was cut short when she married Tildon S. McGee on February 1, 1948 and moved to California. Tildon enrolled in graduate studies at University of Southern California, and Mary Emma turned her attentions to raising a family. Even though she remained in California for most of her life, her heart remained in Mississippi. Every summer she and her family made the cross-country drive to the home where she grew up. These were special times of reunion with family and friends. Upon retirement, she and Tildon returned to the home in Brandon for several years. They worked the land, producing vegetables in such abundance that they gave them away to family, friends, and strangers.

Mary Emma lived in La Cañada, CA since 1990 with her daughter, Kathleen, son-in-law, David, and grandsons, Andrew and Jason Holmes. Mary Emma loved reading, starting with the newspaper each morning. Mysteries, court room dramas, romances, and historical fiction were all on her extensive reading list. Once she caught on to using a Kindle, she read more than ever. She enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, eating Southern cuisine and vanilla ice cream, and spending time with family. She was always eager to travel. Even though she hated to fly, she did it anyway and journeyed to many destinations: Ireland, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Canada, Jamaica, and throughout the United States.

Mary Emma is survived by her three children: Harvey McGee and his wife Evie, Kathleen Holmes and her husband David, Nancy McGee and her husband Stan; four grandchildren: Andrew Holmes and his wife Danielle, Jennifer Fields, Jason Holmes, Jack McGee; two great grandsons: Dillon and Donovan Holmes; and a number of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Tildon, her parents, and her brothers: Francis, Hasty and Joe.

A visitation was held on December 15 at Forest Lawn Mortuary, Glendale, CA. On March 27 services were held at Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, VA. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery followed, where Mary Emma joined Tildon, a decorated WWII veteran.